Sputum cup



July 25, 1939. K C, HAMILTON 2,167,111

SPUTUM CUP 4Filed Feb. 23, 1938 Patented July 25, 1939 2,167,111

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE srU'rUM our Kenneth C. Hamilton, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner' to Milwaukee Lace Paper Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 191,933

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-271) My invention relates generally to a sputum ments of parts as will hereinafter more fully be receptacle for receiving the sputum of invalids set forth and claimed. and persons having contagious diseases, colds and In describing my invention, reference is had to the like. More particularly, the invention has to the accompanying drawing wherein I have illus..

5 do with a miniature cup which may conveniently trated the preferred physical embodiment therel' be employed in hospitals, the sick-room, and of, and in which:

when traveling, for the purpose described. Figure 1 iS a plan View f a sputum CUP em- Broadly, the principal object of the present bodying the principles of the present invention; invention resides in forming a cup of the char- Y Flgure 2 is a plan view of a baille for said cup,

acter described from paper-like material, suitsuch baille having formed integrally therewith 10' ably reinforced against radial deformation, and the inherently resilient retaining means above provided with a cover effective for completely lreferred to;

closing the top of the cup. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the More specifically, another object of the present cup of Figure l, taken substantially along the invention resides in providing, in a cup and cover plane of the line 3 3 thereof; 15 of the character described, novel means estab- Figure` 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of lishing a pivotal connection for opening and closthe c over and cup showing the relative position ing movements of the cover with respect to said of the retaining means and the means establishcup ing the pivotal connection between the cover and Another object'of the invention resides in procup during the initial opening movement of said go viding, in a cup of the character described, novel cover; and

retaining means associated with said cup and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing cover, and operable to maintain the pivotal conthe relative positions of the parts referred to in nection between said cup and cover in operative. the description of such latter figure, when the engagement during the opening and closing `cover is in fullyopened position. 25

movements of said cover. Referring now in detailv to the drawing, cup 6 Still another object of the invention resides of the present invention is conveniently, though in providing, in a cup of the character described, not necessarily, formed of paper. Such paper retaining means carried by said cup and operais preferably opaque, or more or less translucent,

tively connected to said cover fo'r the purpose either waxed or unwaxed, and in any event ywa- 30 described-said connection between said cover and terproof. Also, paper known as dry waxed or wet cup being in the form of a limited lost-motion waxed, bleached or unbleached may be employed. connection, whereby said cover will have trans- The cup, conveniently formed by suitable dies latory movement with respect to said retaining from a singlecirculardisk of material, comprises means during a portion of the movement of said a bottom wall l and an upwardly'and outwardly 35 cover, f inclined vertical Wall 8, the upper marginal edge A still further object of the invention resides in of this latter wall being rolled outwardly to proprcviding, in a cup of the character described, vide the annular bead 9. Preferably, wall 8 is inherently resilient retaining means carried by radially folded t0 provide plaits These plaits 40 said cup and operatively connected to said cover may be bOX plaits 0r the Ordinary plaits Shown o in the manner and for the purpose described, said 31nd mdeed 1n the broader aSDeCS 0f my invenretaining means having a normal position unnon the cup may be formed N1-thm@ planingaected by Said cover duri-ng a portion of the However, the plalts are of importance 1n the matopening movement thereof, and being movable ter of simplicity of manufacture and also give y strength and rigidity to the cup. That is, the from Such normal posltion by sald cover' during plaits provide reinforcing ribs of appreciable another portion of the opening {nofement there' rigidity and resilience which, in conjunction with 0f whereby When the pressure mcldent t0 cause bead 9, render the cup self sustaining. In addi- Opening movement 0f Said @Ver is removed there' tion, the plaits resist radial deformation of the from, the inherent resiliency of said retaining cup and Servel when the baffle hereinafter d- 50 means will cause it to return to its normal posiscribed is applied to the cup, to maintain proper tion, and thereby return Said Cover t0 its Closed operative engagement between certain cooperatposition with respect to said cup. ing elements of the baille and cup. Immediately Other objects and advantages of the invention below bead 9, inclined side wall 8 of the cup is reside in certain novel combinations vand arrangeprovided with an outwardly pressed annular bead u I2 forming an inwardly directed channel Il for the reception of baile i4.

Baiile I4 is formed of relatively stii! paper, or some other such suitable material, and, as shown, is of inverted substantially frusto-conical shape, having the upwardly and outwardly inclined wall I6 and the substantially centrally disposed opening I6. n closely approximating the internal diameterof wall-6 adjacent bead I2, so that it is necessary to torce the baille into the cup under pressure until such time as the peripheral edge of the baille snaps into channel Il. On its outer periphery, baille I4 is providedwith an integrally formed and outwardly extending horizontally disposed tab .|1. Such tab comprises a shank I6 of relatively short length and narrow width, the tab terminating in a slightly enlarged head I9 forming shoulders 2|. Prior to forcing the baffle into the cup, the tab may be bent to the upwardly and slightly outwardly inclined position shown, or it may so be bent by the operation of forcing the baille into the cup. As shown, tab I1 projects for a short distance above the cup for cooperation with a cover member 23.

Cover member 2l is also preferably formed of relatively stiiI paper and is provided with an outwardly and downwardly rolled peripheral flange 24 for the reception of bead-9. Such flange has a relatively snug, but not especially tight ilt, with the bead, the cover being thereby centered with respect to and secured tothe cup. A horizontally disposed tab formed integrally with the peripheral edge of flange 24 extends radially outwardly of the cover and forms a handle 25. Adjacent handle 26, and immediately inwardly of flange 24, the cover is provided with a slot 26. This slot has a length and width only slightly greater than the width and thickness, respectively, of shank I6 of tab I1'. However, the length of slot 26 is slightly vless than the distance measured transversely `across head I9 between the outer edges `of shoulders 2i. Preferably, head I6 of tab I1 is spear-shaped, being provided with the inclined edges 21. The tab I1 is engaged in slot 26 by disposing cover 23 in a plane substantially parallel vto the plane of onevof the inclined edges 21 and :passing such Aedge of head I6 through the slot.

The cover may then be movedv transversely with respect lto tab I1 to engage beneath 'the shoulder 2I which has'passed through'the slot,- afterwhich the cover may then be rotated downwardly, with respect to tab I1 and, by a slight pressure, the slot be made to pass over the outer edge of the opposite shoulder. Cover 23 is adapted to have translational movement with respect to shank I6 and, as the length of slot 26 is less than the dis- .tance between the outer edges of shoulders 2l,

such movement of the cover is limited by the shoulders 2| engaging over the portions of the cover at opposite ends of the slot.

The cover may be moved from its closed position toits open position with respect to the cup by applying downward pressure upon handler". f

During initial opening movement of the cover,

the portion 24' of flange 24A adjacent .handle 2li,`

will pivot about portion 6 of bead`6, u ntil such time as the cover reaches a position where, as shown in Figure 4, it is disposed at an angle of substantially 45 with respect to the cup. At such point, the cover, which has had the front slot deilning edge 26 merely riding along shank Il of tab I1 by reason of slot 26, contacts shoulders 2i of the tab. Upon continued downward movement of the handle, ange 24 contin- Preferably, baille I4 is of a diameter ues to pivot about bead ,during thislatter movement, the engagement of cover 42lvvithv shoulders2l of the tabservejto bend'such tab the cover is lnfuny openedfpositlon, the-tabu;

-dency toreturn toits normal substantially vertical position when bent therefrom to a position such as that shown .in Figure 5. Therefore, when the cover is in its fully opened position and pressure is released from handle 26, the tab will return to its normal position, and thereby automatically move cover 23 Ato its normally closed position.

' While a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described, by way of 'example, it will be obvious that changes ,may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention. I do not, therefore, 4limit my invention to the precise form herein disclosed, except in so far as it may so be limited in the appended rolled peripheral bead substantially circular in cross-section, a cover having a depending peripheral ilange shaped conformably to and engaging about said bead providing a pivotal connection for opening and closing movements of said cover. A

and an inherently resilient retaining member associated with said cover and cup and maintaining the pivotal portion of said-bead and flangeinfjoperative engagement during the movements ofi" said cover, said retaining memberv abutting said bead and having a portion bendable from a normal position over and in conformance with the curvatureof said bead during the opening movement of said cover, whereby the inherent resiliency of said member will return it to its normal position and the cover to its closed position.

2. In combination, a cup having an outwardly rolled peripheral bead substantially circular in cross-section, a cover having a slot and provided with a peripheral flange engageable with said bead, a portion of said bead and ilange establishinga pivotal ,connection for opening and closing movements of said cover, a baille carried by said cup, and a substantially vertically disposed inherently resilient' tab carried by said baille and engaging in the slot in-saldcover to maintain the'n pivot portion of said bead and flange in operative.,

bendable from its normal vertical position'over and in conformance with the curvature of said bead during the opening movement of said cover, whereby the inherent resiliency of said tab will return it to its normal vertical position and the cover to its closed position, and said tab providing a handle for said baille to facilitate removal of the baille from the cup.

3. In combination, a cup having an outwardly rolled peripheral bead substantially circular in cross-section, a cover having a peripheral flange engageable with said bead and a slot disposed adjacent said flange, a portion of said bead and ilange establishing a pivotal connection for opening and closing movements of saidv cover, a baille carried by said cup, an inherently resilient tab carried by said baille and disposed in a normally substantially vertical position for engaging in' the slot in said cover to maintain the pivot portion of said bead and flange in operative engagement during movements of said cover, said tab abutting said bead and said cover having translational movement only with respect thereto during the initial opening movement of said cover, and shoulders formed on said tab and engageable with said cover during the latter portion only of the opening movement of said cover to bend said f tab from its normal vertical position over and in conformance with the curvature of said bead, whereby the inherent resiliency of said tab will return it to its normal position and the cover to its closed position.

KENNETH C. HAMILTON. 

